Stovetop
661 recipes found

Pavo al Pastor (Sweet and Smoky Shredded Turkey)
The iconic tacos al pastor (shepherd’s style tacos) — made and eaten across Mexico and in the US — are normally made with adobo-marinated pork steaks, flame-kissed on a vertical spit called a trompo and served with grilled pineapple and onion on corn tortillas. In this recipe, which takes advantage of leftover turkey, canned chipotles in adobo evoke the flavor of al pastor’s spicy adobo sauce, while the chipotles’ smokiness mimics the spit-roasted pork. Extra al pastor sauce can be used like a barbecue sauce to flavor cooked shredded meats like chicken or pork, or as a marinade for meat before cooking. For plant-based tacos, toss the sauce with roasted vegetables or brush over raw cauliflower, winter or summer squash, eggplant or mushrooms and roast or grill until charred and tender.

Birria de Pavo (Turkey Birria)
Originally, birria was developed as a way to tame tough and gamey goat meat by marinating it in a rich and spicy adobo sauce then slow cooking it until it was falling off the bones. The meat was shredded and served in bowls with the braising liquid (called consomé) ladled over top. The consomé-infused meat was put into tortillas with cilantro, onion and salsa and eaten with more consomé on the side or used as a dipping sauce. Because this recipe takes advantage of leftover turkey that is already cooked, the carcass is used to make a quick consomé flavored with canned fire roasted tomatoes, dried chiles and spices. Add the shredded turkey at the end to warm it up and let it soak up all the flavor. For the salsa, use leftover cranberry sauce; homemade or canned both work great. If using canned and you have a choice between whole-berry and jellied, choose the whole-berry sauce — the salsa will have even more texture.

Turkey Kimchi Pancakes
These crispy but delicate fritters are a riff on pajeon, savory Korean pancakes that can include vegetables (like these vegetable pajeon), meat or seafood (like these scallion pancakes with squid). This version, inspired by Thanksgiving, features leftover turkey and fresh green beans, along with common pajeon ingredients like scallions and kimchi. The ingredients are bound by a light batter using flour, egg and water and then fried. Serve the pancakes right away, while hot and crunchy, but if you happen to have any left, they can be reheated in the oven at 350 degrees on a baking sheet to recrisp.

Hobakjuk (Korean Squash Porridge)
Traditionally made with kabocha squash, this soothing porridge showcases the natural velvety texture of winter squash. Make this when squash is in season, as the flavor of the porridge will be best when the gourds are at their peak, both nutty and sweet; use kabocha, butternut or any orange-fleshed squash or pumpkin. Sweet white rice, also known as glutinous rice, becomes sticky and thickens the mixture naturally as it cooks. Typically topped with slivered Korean dates and pine nuts, a more modern, crunchier nut-and-seed topping contrasts this creamy, bisque-like soup. Leftovers freeze very well.

Cranberry Grilled Cheese
Somehow, there is always leftover cranberry sauce after all of the other Thanksgiving leftovers have disappeared. The classic grilled cheese sandwich comes to the rescue, welcoming any cranberry sauce you have on hand into its warm, melty embrace. A meat-free alternative to the traditional Thanksgiving leftover sandwich, this cranberry sauce grilled cheese thrives with mild or sharp Cheddar, though any cheese is welcomed here. Adding in a layer of Dijon mustard and of course, a few slices of turkey, are also great ideas.

Martha Stewart’s Mashed Potatoes
One of our family’s favorite dishes growing up was the delicious mashed potato recipe Mom would prepare to accompany her roast pork loin, roasted chicken, and, on Thanksgiving, her big roasted turkey. Her secrets? Idaho potatoes, peeled and boiled until fork-tender. Lots of fresh butter. A lot of cream cheese and hot milk added for creaminess. Salt and pepper, of course. It was not possible to find Yukon Golds in the Nutley Co-Op, where we shopped for all our groceries in the ’40s, or in the ShopRite, which came to Nutley, N.J., in the early ’50s. But these days, I love the tenderness of Yukon Golds, and I grow a hardy crop of them in my Bedford garden in New York. I also use both heavy cream and milk, and I use a food mill with the finest sieve to ensure the creamiest, smoothest and silkiest mashed potatoes ever.

Spicy Black Bean Soup
There are a lot of things to love about this soup: It comes together in 20 minutes in just one pot with fewer than 10 ingredients. But most importantly, minimal effort results in a velvety yet bright soup. The cocoa powder accentuates the fudginess of the black beans, while the salsa verde adds surprising tartness. The tomatillos in the salsa also contain pectin which, along with the starchy bean liquid, quickly thickens the soup. While the soup’s cooking, ready your garnishes as you’ll want plenty to top the bowls. Leftover soup keeps for up to three days, but will stiffen as it sits, so thin with water as needed or turn it into refried beans.

Coffee Jelly With Salted Caramel Whipped Cream
Topped with dollops of freshly whipped salted caramel cream, this soft Japanese coffee jelly makes the perfect post-dinner pick-me-up — and is essentially a sweetened espresso in jiggly form. For some contrast to the jellied and creamy textures, the dessert is topped with a sprinkle of crunchy flaky salt as well as cacao nibs. It’s a great dessert to prepare in advance and assemble in front of your guests. For some extra zhuzh, you can douse the cubed coffee jelly in flavored liqueurs, like coffee, orange or chocolate – and you’ll get bonus points for using dainty little coupe glasses!

Butter-Poached Carrots
It doesn’t seem that butter, water and salt should result in carrots that taste this supremely of carrots, but the magic is evident in the incredible distilled carrot flavor, thanks to a little technique. In the 5 minutes it takes for the water to come to a simmer in a closed pot, the water gains the sweet, root-vegetable flavor of the carrots while also emulsifying with the butter into a glossy sauce. These are buttered carrots, but poached in their own glossy orange liqueur, making them the carrotiest carrots you’ll ever taste. This recipe comes from the French chef Raymond Blanc, by way of the food writer Bee Wilson, as featured in her 2023 cookbook “The Secret of Cooking.” Her promise is simple but life-changing: “On lifting the lid, you will see that the butter and water have formed a silky emulsion and, because of the quick cooking time, the carrots retain their orange color and sweet flavor in their buttery bath.” Because this universal side dish is so quick to cook, Ms. Wilson likes to have a pot of it ready up until just the last moment before serving.

Carla Hall’s Creamed Kale
I love creamed spinach, so I figured I’d really love creamed kale. I was right! Because the leaves are so much sturdier, they don’t break down in the sauce or release much water. That means a more satisfying chew with each bite, and more nutrients, too. This may sound like a trendy take on a classic, but kale’s been a soul food staple for hundreds of years. Everyone’s figuring out now what we’ve known forever: Kale really is delicious.

Ruth Reichl’s Turkey Chili
The year Thanksgiving moved to my house, my father confided that he hated turkey. “But," he added, “Thanksgiving without the national bird just doesn’t feel right.” My solution: turkey disguised as chili — a recipe I shared in “Save Me the Plums.” One bonus: this is a dish that gets better with a little age, so you can make it three days ahead.

Brussels Sprout Salad With Pomegranate and Pistachios
This autumnal side, inspired by tabbouleh, swaps the usual parsley and tomatoes for shaved brussels sprouts, scallions, chopped fresh mint, juicy pomegranate seeds and roasted pistachios, all tossed together in a tangy sumac-lemon dressing. The traditional bulgur remains, ensuring this salad has enough heft to stand out as a great vegan option at the Thanksgiving table and beyond, though the jeweled bowl is sure to attract omnivores, too. Perfect for potlucks, it can be assembled ahead of time, and, since it’s served at room temperature, it can easily be packed up and carried wherever you might be heading.

Sour Cream and Onion Mashed Potatoes
Double the potatoes, double the fun: Creamy Yukon Gold potatoes are studded with tender bites of skin-on red bliss potatoes in this texture lovers’ mash. The tanginess of sour cream coupled with the grassy bite of scallions keeps things light and fresh, making this an ideal side for richer dishes, like fried chicken and steak (and also welcome at any sweltering summer dinner).

Hot-Mustard Gravy
This perky gravy gets its kick from a generous dollop of hot mustard swirled in at the end. To keep the mustard flavor at the forefront, use a lighter-bodied boxed broth and neutral oil, rather than the gelatinous bone broth and rich butter found in most traditional gravy recipes. Deeply browned, almost blackened bits of shallot add a savory, aromatic backbone, while seasoning with plenty of salt lets the mustard pop.

Green Beans With Lime and Red Onions
Snappy and bright, these green beans are ready in minutes and full of tangy lime, garlic and coriander. The streamlined technique makes these very easy to do in one pan. Just add the beans and a little water to the skillet to steam them. Then, after the water cooks off, add the oil and aromatics and sauté until the garlic turns golden at the edges and the beans absorb all of the flavors. These beans are great both warm and at room temperature, so feel free to make them a few hours ahead, and garnish with herbs and onions just before serving.

Cabbage and Mandarin Orange Winter Slaw
Full of surprises, this sweet, savory, spiced slaw is a perfect festive side that’s quick to make. Shredded cabbage, fennel, scallions, mandarin oranges and a whole lime create a fragrant base that gets tossed with a crunchy spiced oil seasoned with makrut lime leaves, coriander and cumin. The spiced oil is made first, so it has time to cool before dressing the slaw; you’ll have time to slice your salad ingredients while the hot oil cools. The toasted spices add a fragrant crunch to sprinkle on top. Makrut lime leaves add an extraordinary citrusy aroma with a slightly floral note that makes the slaw truly special. If you can’t find them, substitute with an extra fresh lime. The slaw is best served right away, but can be enjoyed the next day; just strain any liquid and refresh with a few tablespoons of olive oil.

Garlicky Mushrooms and Herbs
This stellar side of caramelized mushrooms and herbs will quietly dazzle on any table, with little effort. The mushrooms are cooked in a hot, dry pan to release their moisture and start caramelization, then butter and olive oil coat the mushrooms with a soft, silky sheen. The finishing touch of soy sauce amplifies the umami of the mushrooms, for an earthy, savory dish. Garnish with different herbs or cheese, depending on the meal being served. Sprinkling these on seared steak; toast slathered with a soft cheese; or mashed potatoes would be wise.

Caramelized Shallot Gravy
Rather than counting on homemade stock for its flavor source, this vegan gravy highlights the sweetness of caramelized shallots, pairing them with soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and fresh herbs for a perfectly balanced gravy. Though the process coaxes similar complexity from the allium, caramelizing shallots is a little different than caramelizing onions. To prevent the shallots from burning and becoming bitter as they cook, aim to deglaze them with water as soon as they reach a light golden-brown color rather than awaiting the rich, dark brown spots you’d aim for when caramelizing onions. Keep the gravy rustic and serve it as is, or go smooth and blend until creamy. Perfect for party planning, this gravy will last up to 5 days in the fridge.

Butternut Squash Sambar
Loaded with a rainbow of vegetables and protein-packed toor dal (split pigeon peas), sambar is a comforting South Indian stew that’s tangy with tamarind and typically served for breakfast topped with a spicy, crunchy tadka (spiced ghee or oil). Sambar powder, the namesake of the dish, is a mix of fragrant spices like coriander and cumin, and pulses such as roasted chana dal and urad dal. Toast your spices and grind them for a fragrant and fresh homemade sambar powder. You can also use the jarred spice mix available at Indian markets. In addition to sunny butternut squash and the other suggested vegetables, feel free to swap in or add others like green beans or eggplant. Serve sambar with idli and coconut chutney; dosas; or rice.

Sautéed Kale With Hot Honey
This kale gets its sweet heat from a floral and fruity combination of orange, habanero chile, honey and thyme. By cooking the kale in a covered pot, the flavors of the aromatics seep into each bite, and the kale stems soften, so you can skip the fussy step of stripping the leaves. This recipe doubles easily, and would work beautifully with brussels sprouts, broccoli, carrots or winter squash; adjust cooking times accordingly and add more water or orange juice to keep the mixture from drying out. Eat alongside black beans, crispy potatoes and a roast chicken or turkey.

Herby Mashed Potatoes With Labneh
What sets these easy, zingy mashed potatoes apart is a simple garlic-infused cream and a big dollop of labneh. By crushing the garlic and gently steeping it in the cream, you achieve a deep, rich garlic flavor, without the harshness of biting into raw garlic. The labneh adds another layer of creaminess to the potatoes while also adding a delightful tang. If you can’t find labneh, sour cream is a great substitute and will provide a similarly rich sharpness.

Salted Cashew Brittle
Candy making can be intimidating, but this sweet and salty brittle is actually easy to make, no candy thermometer required. With a few basic ingredients and about 20 minutes, you’ll have a perfect, giftable treat. Sugar is cooked with butter and lots of salt until fragrant and the color turns a deep amber. Then, a little bit of baking soda is stirred in to create air in the candy, making it easier to bite through, while the addition of plenty of vanilla maximizes flavor. Buttery cashews make delicious brittle, as they are soft and yielding in contrast to the deep crunchy caramel. Use roasted and salted nuts for the best taste. This brittle recipe is quite salty as written, so scale back to 1 teaspoon of salt or use unsalted, roasted nuts for a less salty version. To avoid getting splashed by hot sugar, use oven mitts and a long-handled utensil to stir.

Bissara (Creamy Fava Bean Purée)
Bissara is a comforting Moroccan dish made primarily with dried, split fava beans or dried split peas. Often enjoyed as a warming winter meal, it features a creamy, smooth texture and is typically seasoned with garlic, cumin, paprika and olive oil. It can be served as a dip, with bread, or thinned into a hearty soup. A staple in Moroccan cuisine and a popular street food, bissara is celebrated for its simplicity, satisfyingly smooth texture and rich, savory flavors.

Mashed ‘Ulu With Passion Fruit Chutney
‘Ulu, breadfruit in Hawaiian, is hefty as a melon, starchy and vitamin-rich. It has been touted as the answer to world hunger — but it is also simply delicious and wonderfully easy to work with in the kitchen. In this warm, vital dish from the chef Robynne Maii of Fête in Honolulu, ‘ulu is steamed and mashed until smoother, fluffier and more buttery than even the best mashed potatoes. Taking inspiration from South India, where breadfruit is also a staple, Ms. Maii crushes ‘ulu with a spiced oil of cumin, mustard seeds and turmeric. Then she brings a local touch: lilikoi (passion fruit) in a tart, musky chutney. A heap of cilantro and mint, for brightness, and fried shallots finish it off. If you’re not so lucky as to live in the islands, you may find breadfruit in Caribbean or Southeast Asian groceries, or order it frozen from the Hawai‘i ‘Ulu Cooperative.